5 months--seems about the right time for me to update my blog. We've been doing great. We are both still in school (we just may be there forever!) and both working. I finally finished my clinicals which is awesome. Derek is just starting his busy work season and is still fishing.

Overall, we seem to be happy and enjoying life.

Here's a few pics from the last few months.

We were able to go to a couple of Jazz games during our time off in December. Derek is hysterical at the games and sometimes I act like I don't know him.

Derek still loves pheasant hunting and went to Colorado again last November.

The kids still love Derek. It's so funny. Bubba loves Derek to put on the helmets with him and pretend they are riding motorcycles.

I was able to go on a short trip to Washington to see the Wises. It was so much fun. We went to see Syd play in her last few b-ball games. She did good and it was great to see her finally play.

Der is now not only into fly fishing. . . Dad got him into ice fishing as well.

Der and the Girls!

Finally a pic of us together--this doesn't happen too often.

We spent some of the holidays doing humanitarian work. This is Reiss and DK putting together a hygiene kit. I even got Derek to help tie a quilt for the humanitarian center.

Yes, I am the worlds worst blogger. I'm not proud of it, but I have come to terms with it. Some are addits to blogging and then there's people like me. . .an addict of not blogging. Not sure what that would make my diagnosis. Anyways, after much encouraging from a friend at school (she even made me my new name thingy at the top that has our pic on it--Thanks Jess!), I decided to put up a few pics and update the few people that read this.

This is us, incase you forgot what we look like.

This is our real faces. Derek smiling and me mad at whatever he just did!

We spent alot of the summer with my family. Here's a pic of Dale with a few of the kids. Mom & Dad have such a fun backyard to play in.

All the kids came over to Mom and Dad's on my birthday. I blew out my candles and then we had to re-lite them for every kid there so they could blow them out aswell. They are all so cute that I just can't say no.

Der is still an avid fisherman and spends most nights tieing flies. He just got back from Idaho on a 2-day fishing trip and is going to the Green River this weekend.

We had to go to California in June to my sister Heather's house--my beautiful niece Hannah passed away. She was an amazing little girl who changed many people's lives! When you walked in the same room as Hannah, you felt something different. As one of my small primary kids said while simply looking at a picture of Hannah, "I feel like Jesus is here." She taught the gospel while here on the Earth, and now she is continuing on that teaching in a different way. We miss Hannah, but are so thankful we got a chance to meet her.

My gorgeous sister Heather & Hannah Girl

Derek is definitely the favorite Uncle in the Whimpey family. All the kids love him. He will be such a good dad someday! The kids love to steal Derek's hats (he is always wearing one). He tried telling Abbie that his hat is sacred and shouldn't be messed with. About 15 mintues later she had Derek come look at a message she wrote him on her white board. It says, "Derek, maybe when you think something is sacred, think of the temple not your hat. Your neice, Abbie"

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Our life isn't that exciting lately, but we are enjoying it. We are both in school and working. I have 3 jobs that keep me running 6 days out of the week. Infact, Der said a couple of Sunday's ago that it was weird being with me for longer than 2 hours. Luckily neither of us work or study on Sunday so it's our day together. We can't wait til December when we both have some time off!

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO. . .

Snowmobiling

When we were riding, we found this tree Dad had carved his name in about 48 years ago when he was sheepherding as a boy. Way cool, huh!!!

Shooting (Derek & Brad)

Playing with Kids

Derek is still fishing

Elder Kyle Kohler returns home! We love having Kyle home!!!

Baby Beck Lance Erickson is born and he is SOOOO cute!

Rachael goes to Jr. Prom. She looked so, so beautiful!

Snowshoeing (this is Der going down a big slide we built)

The Wises came to visit and the girls went Prom dress shopping. Syd and Sam tried on lots of fun dresses and modeled them for us!

I decided to recover my couch. . . AHHHHH!!!

BEFORE

DURING

There's no turning back now!

AFTER pics will be coming soon. I haven't finished sewing the cushions yet. I've been too busy with school and work to finish.

Family

We thought our holidays would be completely relaxing and not busy. We were wrong. We had such a good holiday season though and found it hard to get back in the rhythm of school and work. The family all came (except Amy), to Utah in December. It was so much fun with everyone. We went snowshoeing, icefishing, sledding, and lots more! Here are a few pics of everyone.

Ice fishing at Strawberry. Max, Fischer, Isaac, Derek

Heather & Max snowshoeing

Me & Dale snowshoeing

Me, Heather, Holly snowshoeing

Charlee & Reiss getting ready to go sledding

Heath and Dad pulling the tubes behind the 4-wheeler

Sweet baby Hannah with her cute smile!

The girls (and Heath) playing dress-up. Reiss, Abbie, Mara, Charlee, Heath

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We all celebrated Mom & Dad's 40th wedding anniversary by going to the temple and then having a dinner afterwards. It was so awesome to all be in the temple together. Jen put together a really neat video of Mom and Dad's lives, included all of us kids.

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For Christmas, instead of buying gifts for eachother (meaning the 7 of us kids), we give the money that we would have spent and it goes towards helping other people. Each year one of us 7 kids is incharge and we get to choose what we do with the money. This year Derek and I were incharge. We decided to to hygiene kits. It was really awesome because we had all the grandkids put the kids together. They loved doing it and I think it was good for them to learn that not everyone is as fortunate as we are.

Mom

Max

Fischer

Char & Me

Abbie

Life Update

Well, I am clearly horrible at updating our blog, but I am finally out of school for 4 weeks so now I have no excuse. Here's what's been going on the last month or so.

Derek's birthday

Another hunting trip for Derek. He went with all his brothers and his dad. He was gone about 5 days and had way too much fun. I always secretly hope he doesn't kill anything so maybe he'll change his hobbies. I must not be praying hard enough yet!

Thanksgiving with the kids--way cute kids, huh!!!. We had Thanksgiving at Dale & Ann's house where we had fondu (our version of a turkey dinner). Jen & Lance and Mel & Brock also came. Not the same without Mom & Dad, but it was still a great day!!!

Temple lights and Jazz game. . . all in one night!

Laurie, Rachael, Hayden, Me

Dad went on a trip to Washington in November. I loved these pics of Amy's kids so I thought I'd post them. I miss her family like crazy and wish we saw them more.

Syd in her riding gear.
Sammi in her riding gear

Jake & Dad went fishing while he was there. Here's one of the many fish they caught. Derek was really jealous when he saw these pics.